Do you ever feel misunderstood? Misinterpreted?
Have you ever said,
“Oh, that’s not what I meant.”
Some of us can be completely baffled by the miscommunication while some of us may have a hint of what we might be doing to “muddy the waters.”
Regardless, we need to learn to take responsibility and action for how we are received.
While it may matter to you what your initial intention was – the person listening doesn’t always receive it with the same intention. They only know how your message was heard, along with how your voice and non-verbals were interpreted. This is what we call the landing. Your message can land on them differently than you intended.
Getting to the bottom of all misunderstandings can be an impossible task. If we truly know what our goal is – and align the various elements of our communication so there is no contradiction or unexpected messaging – we can lessen that confusion.
Think about your take off, knowing that the safe landing is what matters.
